James Franco

Co-Owner, Head of Curriculum

JAMES FRANCO’s metamorphosis into the title role of the TNT biopic JAMES DEAN earned him career-making reviews, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture made for Television. He also received nominations for an Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award for this memorable performance. Franco earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award and recognition from numerous critics’ associations for his starring role in Danny Boyle’s critically acclaimed drama 127 HOURS.

His performance alongside Sean Penn in Gus Van Sant’s MILK earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor and he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in David Gordon Green’s comedy PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, where he starred opposite Seth Rogen. He is also known for his starring role as Harry Osbourne in Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN trilogy.

On the big screen, Franco recently starred in the comedy THE END OF THE WORLD with Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Danny McBride as well as Sam Raimi’s OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL and Harmony Korine’s SPRING BREAKERS. He will again co-star with Jonah Hill in TRUE STORY for New Regency and also stars in Paul Haggis’ THIRD PERSON. He recently shot Wim Wenders’ EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE and THE INTERVIEW, again with Seth Rogen. Franco will make his Broadway debut in OF MICE & MEN this spring.

Franco’s additional credits include Ryan Murphy’s EAT, PRAY, LOVE starring opposite Julia Roberts, Shawn Levy’s comedy DATE NIGHT, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s HOWL, where he played the famous poet Allen Ginsberg, George C. Wolfe’s NIGHTS IN RODANTHE; Paul Haggis’ IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH; Karen Moncrieff‘s ensemble drama THE DEAD GIRL; Tommy O’Haver’s drama AN AMERICAN CRIME; John Dahl’s THE GREAT RAID; Robert Altman’s THE COMPANY; as well as CITY BY THE SEA opposite Robert DeNiro and the Martin Scorsese produced DEUCES WILD. On television, he starred in the critically acclaimed series FREAKS AND GEEKS.

Aside from his acting accomplishments, Franco has also established himself as a director in several films. He wrote and directed THE FEAST OF STEPHEN, which premiered and won a Teddy award at the Berlin Film Festival. Additionally, Franco directed SATURDAY NIGHT, a documentary on the week-long production of a “Saturday Night Live” episode, which originally premiered at SXSW and THE CLERKS TALE, which premiered at Cannes. Franco also wrote and directed a biography on poet Hart Crane called THE BROKEN TOWER which premiered at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival. He also produced KINK, a documentary that premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Recently he produced and starred in Carter’s MALADIES and in Gia Coppola’s PALO ALTO, based on his book of the same title, both of which will be released this year. Franco starred in, co-wrote and directed the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s CHILD OF GOD, which premiered at both the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival in 2013. He also directed and starred in William Faulkner’s AS I LAY DYING based on the classic novel, which premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and directed SAL, a bio-pic based on the life of Sal Mineo, which screened at the 2011 Venice Film Festival. Both films were released in 2013. He is currently working on an adaptation of Faulkner’s THE SOUND AND THE FURY, which he directs and stars.